Photomechanical effect

{{Short description|Change in the shape of a material when exposed to light}}

Photomechanical effect is the change in the shape of a material when it is exposed to light. This effect was first documented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1880.{{cite journal|first=A. G. |last=Bell|author-link=Alexander Graham Bell|title=On the Production and Reproduction of Sound by Light|journal=Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science|volume=29|page=115 |year=1881|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4248440&view=1up&seq=201}} Kenji Uchino demonstrated that a photostrictive material could be used for legs in the construction of a miniature optically-powered "walker".{{cite journal | last1=Uchino | first1=Kenji | last2=Cross | first2=Leslie E. | title=Electrostriction and Its Interrelation with Other Anharmonic Properties of Materials | journal=Japanese Journal of Applied Physics | publisher=Japan Society of Applied Physics | volume=19 | issue=4 | year=1980 | issn=0021-4922 | doi=10.1143/jjap.19.l171 | pages=L171–L173| bibcode=1980JaJAP..19L.171U | s2cid=94553913 }}

The most common mechanism of photomechanical effect is light-induced heating.

Photomechanical materials may be considered smart materials due to their natural change implemented by external factors.